Mahon Hat-trick Helps Secure the Win

It will be recalled that last year in the same fixture some 68 points were scored and as you will note from the score, 70 points on this occasion although the margin of Wirral’s win was much less. It was the new clubhouse at Ilkley that inspired our officials with the need for the club to open up the massive roof space back at the Memorial Ground, hence the “Raise the Roof” campaign.
With the continued absence of ROB PEARL, Wirral selected the same side that came so close to defeating league leaders, Huddersfield last week. With the temperature much reduced when compared to last week, it was Wirral who had the advantage of the wind in this first half.
The game started with Wirral soon on the attack and it was apparent from the first scrum that the away side had the advantage, from such a scrum the ball came loose and RYAN HIGGINSON was on hand to touch down only for the referee to decline as he had not seen the grounding. However retaining possession this was not to prove costly as in the 4th minute, KEITH MAHON scored from a couple of metres out. JAMES ANNETTS took the conversion which appeared to everyone in the ground to have gone through the posts only for the officials (one from Wirral- not Brendan) indicating a miss, this could have proved crucial as the match unfolded. 0-5. It was evident that Wirral needed to keep the ball away from the Ilkley full back, Ben Magee as he made a number of promising runs, one of which brought Ilkley into the Wirral 20m, where swift handling enabled Kiwi, Ricky Palacio making his debut to crash through his tackler from close range to score, captain Joe Rowntree added the conversion. 7-5 (11 mins). It was apparent that both teams played a similar type of game and on 17 minutes, Ilkley took the lead when from a Wirral scrum, the ball came loose and Ollie Holtam, the prop picked up and ambled the 3 metres to score close to the posts, the try was converted. 14-5.
Wirral had the territorial opportunities to score but were not quite clicking. The arrears were reduced when from a scrum taken for the second time some 5m out, resulted in the Ilkley pack being pushed over the whitewash leaving KEITH MAHON the simple task of crashing over, the conversion was missed. 14-10 (23 minutes). Wirral managed to go into the lead on 34 minutes, with the try of the match, with JAMES ANNETTS bursting onto the ball in mid-field, creating a break and then proceeded to put on the “after burners” to outpace the home defence to score, again the conversion was missed. 14-15 (34 minutes). Wirral were looking to have a greater margin at half time in view of the wind advantage Ilkley would have in the second half and despite a break in mid field by MATT LOON they could not add to their score before half time.
A long chat back in the changing room at half time inspired the Wirral team as they changed tactics and were able to make progress against the wind and from another forward situation close to the Ilkley line the ball was loose and that man again, KEITH MAHON was on hand to pick up and score his first hat-trick for Wirral, JAMES ANNETTS converted. 14-22 (45 mins). At this stage Wirral made their first two substitutions, CHRIS SPEED and CHRIS HUGHES came on for CHRIS BURROWS and RYAN HIGGINSON. The 8 point lead was short lived as a break by Elliott Morgan and missed tackles by Wirral allowed the centre to score, followed by a conversion by Joe Rowntree meant Wirral were pulled back to a 1 point lead.
Wirral continued to attack and a deliberate knock on by the previously mentioned Morgan allowed him a 10 minute rest in the sin bin. From this situation Wirral won the line out some 20m out and a driving maul ended with hooker, STUART GRATTON at the back of this maul touching down near the posts, converted by JAMES ANNETTS. 21-29 (58 minutes). The yellow card to Ilkley was to prove to be expensive as another scrum in the Ilkley 20m area gave Wirral the opportunity to probe the home defence before a double miss move enabled JAMES ANNETTS to collect and run in for his second try and extend the Wirral lead to 13 points- but this did not prove the breathing space they sought.
Pressure in the Wirral half resulted in CHRIS SPEED receiving a yellow card with 14 minutes to go and this gave Ilkley the incentive to push on and through their forwards get the try bonus point and with the conversion it was back to the situation where the next to score was vital. JAMES REEVE came on for PAUL LEWIS. Fortunately it was Wirral, after pressure from the forwards yielded them a penalty which JAMES ANNETTS converted to put Wirral two scores ahead at 28-37 (76 minutes). Urged on by the coach and the crowd, Ilkley went in search of a further score to give them a losing bonus point and were rewarded when an creating an overlap for Ricky Palacio to run in at the corner, the conversion from Rowntree hitting the upright. The final play of the game went on for over 5 minutes as ILKLEY retained the ball and tried to break through the Wirral defence, knowing a dropped ball or a kick downfield would mean the end of the game. To their credit the Wirral defence did not allow any progress to be made and eventually the opportunity came for the Ilkley player to be bundled into touch thus ending an entertaining 11 try game in cold conditions.
This win leaves Wirral in 3rd position on points but 5th on point’s difference but in this league an away win is so important. Next week the team are away at Lymm, which is now classed as a derby game, kick off 2.15pm.
Richard McNeil